Unfinished Business

Well for Pete’s sake. I was so excited to start this cute puzzle I got at the puzzle swap earlier this month. Even though it was 1,000 pieces, about twice as many as I like to do, I could not resist the scene and got right started on it. And it was fun. I spent almost three weeks on it. Some parts went together easily, like the flowery hat and the red coat. Some areas were more challenging, but each section I completed brough a sense of satisfaction. Until I got to the very end last night and discovered there were twelve empty spots and only ten pieces left in the box. I couldn’t believe it. The pieces were all sealed up in a freezer bag inside the box when I opened it.

I even got out the flashlight and searched in the dark corners of my living room to make sure I hadn’t dropped any on the floor. I hadn’t. So though it was thoroughly enjoyable, this puzzle will forever be unfinished business. I know that in the grand scheme of things, this little upset is not even worth mentioning, lol. But I so hate to not finish what I start 😦

Looking for a positive, I will say this puzzle gave me a lot of hours of enjoyment. But I really wish the person who swapped it would have made a note on the box that two of the pieces were missing. I still would have brought it home and put it together, but knowing ahead would have saved me the disappointment. I’m not sure now what to do with it. I don’t want to swap it back at the next puzzle swap with missing pieces. I could write a note on the box and donate it to Goodwill and maybe someone would still want to do it. Or maybe I should just throw it out.

What are your thoughts? Would you start a puzzle knowing there are two pieces missing??

Frozen!

Wow, has January been a wild ride, or what? Monster snowstorms. Subzero temperatures for days. Sheets of ice that closed roads, schools, churches and businesses. And a new experience for me. My pipes froze this week ☹ But even in the midst of the storm, God was faithful and I found so much to be thankful for.

After dripping the faucet faithfully every night for a week, I forgot on Wednesday night and woke up Thursday to frozen pipes. No coffee. No water for Miss Emma’s bowl. Barely enough in my water bottle to brush my teeth! My landlord came over and after about an hour, he managed to get the pipes thawed with no damage. I’m so thankful for the gift of running water!

After forty-four years in the workaday world, I retired this week. Could I have hand picked a better time? No getting up early to clean off the car, fight the snow, and trudge off to work! No need to go out at all, but I found a reliable plow man to dig me out, just in case 😊

I’ve stayed pretty close to home this week, I’ve read some great books. I’ve made slow progress on my current WIP, Blackberry Summer. I got out my crochet after a two-year hiatus and actually finished a project! And I made great strides on my new puzzle.

Another day would have probably finished it, but my friend Sharon called and asked if I would like to go out and about today. I’ve barely left the house all week. It was time to rejoin society.

Our adventure started with Tims and a caramel latte.

Then we headed down the road to check out the brand-new Goodwill.

So many cute things!

We love thrifting!

I was pleasantly surprised to turn a corner and see that my sister had the same idea!

Marge and Sharon checking out the books!

I didn’t buy anything today. They have not had time to stock a good selection of books, and I really don’t need any clothes. Today was just for the fun of poking around. Afterwards we popped into the Piggly Wiggly next door. Since my spinach adventure earlier this week, I’m kind of on an omelet kick and though I don’t eat a lot of ham, I thought this diced ham would make a nice filling.

Though I am retired, I’m going to continue to work a few hours a week, for a little spending money, and to keep myself from becoming a recluse – which I could all too easily see happening. After a week away, I’m looking forward to working tomorrow. I miss my team 😊

It’s been a long, cold, January, but it has surely shown me my blessings. I’m thankful for my sweet, cozy little home. I’m thankful for food, and for water. I’m thankful for friends and for small adventures. And though my hands are cold this week, my heart is so, so warm.

When life gives you spinach…

OK, I can’t blame this one on life. This one was all me.

In the winter I buy bags of frozen veggies for my stir fry’s. Not as good as farm market fresh, but better than nothing. Somehow last trip to the grocery store I bought frozen spinach instead of broccoli. I like fresh spinach in my salads, but frozen… never been a fan.

I don’t like to waste food, so I have been avoiding the spinach all week. I didn’t plan to eat it but didn’t want to throw it out. What to do? Then it occurred to me. My neighbor recently brought me a few dozen fresh quail eggs.

They’re small. It takes two to three quail eggs to equal a chicken egg, but they are so flavorful. I usually use them in my baking, as I’m not a big breakfast food person. But… there was that package of sliced Muenster I’d bought for grilled cheese sandwiches. Hmmm…

Behold — the Omelette!

One of the most delicious mistakes I ever made 🙂

Got a grocery store blunder that turned out to be a blessing? I’d love to hear about it!

I have a logo!

I’ve been reading a lot about creating an author brand, something that, at a glance, lets readers identify what your work is all about. It lets them know what to expect when they pick up one of your books. To say I’ve never been great at marketing would be an understatement, but I have given this idea a lot of thought. They say you should start with a logo. That made sense to me. I would classify my work as romantic, faith-based fiction. Beautiful, uplifting stories about everyday people. I am no graphic designer, far from it, so I reached out to my friend, the candlemaker, one of the most creative people I know. I gave her my jumble of ideas. And she turned them into this…

I have a logo!

And I absolutely love it.

What do you think??

After the Storm…

Like many other states across our nation, Ohio saw some pretty crazy weather on Sunday. They had predicted ten to thirteen inches of snow for our area, plus ice. I don’t know how much we actually got. It was a lot!

There’s always tension in the air before a big storm. Our store was busier than usual on Friday, and the Kroger across the street was mobbed.

Kroger lot at 9am

Kroger lot at 4 pm

Around noon I started hearing reports that the grocery stores had run out of milk and bread. I guess French toast must be standard snowstorm fare, lol.

The snow started to fall at around 9 pm on Saturday night. By Sunday morning we had a good three inches. And then it switched to sleet. And then back to snow. And then to rain. They say the freezing rain kept the snow totals lower than they might have been, but I would sure rather have snow than ice. As it was, by Sunday evening my driveway was buried and the temps were hovering around ten degrees, with wind chills of -10. And it’s not supposed to get any warmer until early February! This morning, we had flurries and 12 F. Much too cold and much too much snow for an older girl with a bad back to shovel. (I have a really long driveway, and at the end of it, the snowplow had left an icy little mountain.)

So I started to stress.

Last year when we got a foot of snow, I contacted a few people on fb who were offering snow removal service. None of them showed up. So I waited it out. The difference was it wasn’t below zero for days at a time last year and the snow melted fairly quickly.

Though I don’t like to drive in weather, and I hate to go out in the bitter cold, I sure wasn’t looking forward to being snowed in until February 😊 So this morning I said a little prayer. Then I got on fb. And the first thing I saw was a post about snow removal services. I didn’t know the man, but I know his wife. I messaged her at 8 am and she had him put me on his schedule. He was here by 10:30. (Thank You, Lord! 😊)

Sometimes angels arrive in snowplows!

He did in fifteen minutes what would have taken me days!

All done!

I’m so thankful this morning. Thankful that the storm has passed. Thankful for food and heat and shelter. Thankful for friends. Thankful for friends with snowplows 😊

And Muffins… Just in Case

Last year at about this time, we had warnings of a big snow coming to Southern Ohio. Up until last year, I hadn’t seen what I considered a “big snow” since I left Western New York. So, I ignored the warnings, the suggestions to stock up on essentials. Guess what? We got a big snow. And I ran out of things. So, when I started seeing this a couple of days ago, I decided to play it smart this time.

Though I hope the storm does not play out this way, I went out this morning and got my essentials, milk, bread, batteries, dog biscuits. And bananas, just in case. Because who wants to be snowed in without banana nut muffins?

I think this thing is going to be massive.

Wherever you are, my WP friends, I pray you will be warm and safe 🙂

Chilly Day Chili

It’s 25 F today, with a real feel of 13 and though the wind is whipping, the sun is shining and the skies are the prettiest pale blue. I went out for a bit this morning and it was brutal, lol. I ran up to clean the church and then stopped to enjoy a cup of coffee with my sister. Other than that, I’ve been hanging out at home with Miss Emma today.

This will be my last week of working full-time. After this week, I will drop down to just one or two days a week. But I hope I never get over being thankful for the blessing of a day off 😊

 Thank the Lord I am finally starting to feel better. Still drained, still a bit stuffy, but so much better than I have felt in the last few weeks. There were a lot of things I could have done around the house today. I want to do a major deep clean and declutter. I need to start getting my paperwork together for my taxes. And there’s always laundry. But today, I’m giving myself permission to just “be.”

I made a pot of chili.

I lit some candles for warmth.

I wrote a key scene for Blackberry Summer that I’m feeling great about 😊

The rest of the afternoon… I haven’t decided whether I want to work on a puzzle or my crochet project. But either thing will be lovely.

Thank You, Lord, for chili in the crock pot on a cold, windy day. For candles and coffee and faithful old hound dogs. For so many hobbies and interests. And for days off to enjoy them 😊

What are you doing today?

Snowy Days…

I love snowy days when I don’t have to go out. They are the perfect days for getting things done around the house, like…

Reading books.

And working on puzzles. I love that this one is called In The Still Light of Dawn.

And writing. I’m making good progress!

You know, all the important stuff 🙂

I hope you have a lovely day, whatever that looks like for you!

Swap Till You Drop!

It was a gorgeous morning in Southern Ohio. A little on the chilly side at 34 F, but wall to wall sunshine made it a great day to be out and about, so Marge and I headed to the library to check out the puzzle swap.

On our way in I stopped by the front desk and donated copies of each of my three Redford’s Crossing Romances – something I’ve been meaning to do for quite some time. They will be catalogued and added to the library’s local author section.

As a fifty-year New Yorker, it seems funny to see my books in the Appalachian Author’s section, but after almost ten years in Ohio, I guess that’s what I am now 🙂

Off to the puzzles!

There weren’t many in the 500- piece range but I found some 750 and 1000 -piece puzzles I could not resist!

It takes me a minute to complete a 1000-piece puzzle, so these four should get me through the winter.

I can’t wait to start the one of the old ladies on the bus! It’s called The Conversation.

After leaving the library, we headed to the new Tim Hortons that recently opened in town.

I’m a Dunkin’ girl through and through, but I loved my Tim’s experience today. Marge and I both got salted caramel lattes and hazelnut muffins. Delicious!

I haven’t seen much of my sister since she returned from her trip to Pasadena for the Rose Parade, so it was a nice chance to catch up.

One of the things I want to focus on this year is fully enjoying life’s little blessings and special moments. A morning out with my sister definitely qualifies. With each piece I fit into my new puzzles, I will remember and be thankful for the gift of today 🙂

Opportunities

January started off with some challenges. Or, since I’ve decided to adopt a more positive mindset this year, I’ll call them opportunities. After weeks of acting glitchy, my little pink laptop finally bit the dust. Oh. My. Goodness. I felt so lost. I dug my tablet out of the junk drawer, dusted it off, and powered it up. It was not the same, but it was better than nothing. I was able to access my email accounts and my blogs, but being a tech-dummy, I didn’t try to do anything fancy, lol.

Being mostly offline for over a week showed me just how much time I waste mindlessly scrolling. Time that could be much better spent. I was able to get to Best Buy and get a new laptop, but I’m going to be much more intentional about my online time in the new year. Since I could still access my files on the old laptop, I was able to open and work on Blackberry Summer (thank You, Lord!) It was astounding how much writing I was able to do without the constant temptation to close out of my document and scroll. Kind of like the good old days, after paper and pen, but before the Internet, when I wrote books with a word processor.

I also came down with The Mother Of All Colds this month. Yes, it was miserable for a few days, but it forced me to slow down, take some hot baths, get some extra rest. Since my intention this year is to take life a little more slowly, I am off to a good start. I got a beautiful handmade crochet hook for Christmas, along with a few skeins of yarn. With my retirement just a couple of weeks away, I might just find the time to put them to use 😊

I’ll leave you with a pic of the puzzle I finished yesterday. I have just one left in the closet, but thankfully my local library is having a puzzle swap next week. I’ve penciled it on my calendar for Monday. The puzzle swap is my very favorite thing, except for the library book sale. I hope I won’t overdo it this time, but I probably will 😊